The First Lesson Read online

  Danik motioned for her to stay put and stepped toward the door. Opening it only a small amount, he laid eyes on the hooded man. “You,” he said, his voice little more than a whisper. He stepped back, allowing Taren inside.

  “The hooded man,” Jeya whispered without realizing she’d spoken.

  “Who is he?” Pia asked.

  Jeya responded by clutching her daughter as tight as she dared. “Taren,” she said. After all these years, she hadn’t forgotten his name. It had been etched into her soul the night the man had touched her.

  “Yes,” Taren said, his dark figure imposing. “I have returned.”

  “You can’t have her!” Jeya shouted.

  Taren’s dark eyes flashed at Pia, who sucked in a breath. She felt as if he were looking straight through her, seeing everything inside her mind. Did he see evil? And what did her mother mean by “can’t have her?”

  “Have a seat,” Danik said, motioning to the table.

  The hooded man pulled out a chair and sat down, allowing the hood to fall away. Pia stared at the pattern of black scales that surrounded the man’s face. Now she understood why he wore a hooded cloak. She wondered if it was the result of some accident. Or perhaps he was a member of a race she’d not heard of. The questions burned on her tongue, but the heavy feeling in the room kept her silent.

  “A member of the Council will arrive tomorrow,” Taren said. “She must come with me.”

  “Why?” Pia blurted.

  “Silence,” Danik said, holding up his hand. He looked at Jeya. “Keep her quiet.”

  “This concerns her more than either of us,” Jeya shot back. “Let her speak her mind.”

  “I’ve come for you, Pia,” Taren said. “You must come with me. I can keep you safe.”

  “Who are you?” the girl asked.

  “I am a sorcerer,” he replied.

  “You’re a member of the Council,” Danik said, accusingly.

  “No,” Taren replied. “I would never fit among their kind.”

  “Then how do you know they’re coming?” Jeya asked.

  “There are rumors all over town,” Danik said with a sigh. “I heard them myself, but I hoped we would have more time.” He sat, defeated.

  “Then it’s true,” Jeya said. “Will they kill her?”

  “Kill me?” Pia echoed. “Is that the way to purge the evil?”

  “Evil?” Taren asked. “No, child, you are not evil. Nor will your hands ever craft it. But the Council is narrow-minded. They believe only in their own kind of magic, and any other is considered a desecration of their art. They are wrong.”

  “Then I do have magic?” Pia asked, her heart suddenly hopeful.

  Taren gave a single nod. “Since before you were born.”

  “Where will you take her?” Danik asked.

  “Away,” Taren replied.

  “We can reason with the Council,” Jeya said, pleading. “They’ll see she’s not a threat. Maybe they can teach her.” She squeezed Pia tighter as if that would fix everything.

  “Will you come with me?” Taren asked, looking at Pia.

  The girl’s lips trembled as she tried to form a reply. Glancing at her mother, her heart grew heavy with sadness. Away. Where was that? “Would I be able to come back?” she asked. “To visit?”

  “I’m sorry,” Taren said. “It will not be safe here.” He paused a moment. “Perhaps in time.”

  Pia felt he was lying. He didn’t want her to know the truth that she would never see her parents again. And what of the ocean? Would she ever sit in the sand and watch the ships come in or listen to the gulls calling on the wind? The world was too big for her, and she didn’t trust this man. “I want to stay,” she said.

  “She can’t,” Danik said, looking at his wife. “They’ll kill her.”

  “I’ve seen what the Red Council is capable of,” Taren said. “They don’t take lightly to their own failures, and they’ll see her abilities as a missed opportunity. They’ll want to control her.”

  “What do you mean?” Jeya asked.

  “They’ll take her from here,” Taren said. “You won’t have to witness her death. But die she will, under their particular form of torture.”

  “You’re lying,” Pia squeaked. He had to be. Mages were good and kind. They healed wounds and drove away bad weather. They fought against evil and made the world safe for children. That’s what she’d always been told.

  Taren sat back in his seat. “I speak only the truth,” he said. “I have no desire to frighten you or your parents. I wish only to protect you.”

  “From what?” Pia asked.

  “The Red Council is home to mages who wield great power,” he replied. “They perform spells forbidden to others but acceptable to themselves. They would draw the magic from you, attempting to take your power as their own. But they would not succeed, for they lack the strength. Still, you would be destroyed in the process. All that you are would be lost. I cannot allow that.”

  Pia stared into the man’s dark eyes, looking for any sign of untruth. She felt his heart, his earnest desire to keep her safe. He was no creature of evil. He hadn’t come to harm her. She believed he wanted to protect her, now and always.

  “Take her,” Jeya said, to her husband’s surprise.

  “Jeya…” Danik said.

  “Please,” she went on. “You must. No one here can protect her from the mages. You can.”

  “Mama?” Pia asked.

  “He touched me,” Jeya said to her child. “When you were in my womb, he placed his hand on me and magic stirred inside you. I felt it, and I feel it now. Every time I’ve touched you, I’ve felt it.” She glanced at Taren. “Don’t be afraid of him. He will protect you. I know it.”

  “I know it too,” Pia said. “I’m not afraid.” What she was feeling was regret and sorrow that she wouldn’t be able to return home. She loved her mother dearly, and her father too, though she’d learned to fear him as well. He was strict with her, but she still cared for him. She wondered if he would miss her, or if he’d be glad to see her gone. The answer might never come. His face was stone, unreadable.

  “When will you leave?” Danik asked.

  “Before dawn,” Taren replied. “I’ll stay tonight at the inn and return an hour before sunrise. My companions and I will need passage across the harbor.”

  Nodding, Danik said, “I can provide that.”

  “Thank you for returning,” Jeya said. “However you knew to come now, I thank you.”

  After Taren had exited, the family sat in silence. Jeya never loosened her grip on her daughter. Pia didn’t try to move away. This was her last night with her family, whom she might never see again.

  “I’ll bring in some wood,” Danik said as the room grew dark. He busied himself with the fire in the hearth, barely acknowledging his daughter.

  “I’ll stay in your room tonight if you’d like,” Jeya said, stroking Pia’s hair.

  “I would,” Pia replied. She would sleep little that night, her mind troubled. Who would look after her parents in her absence? They needed help around the house and even at the docks. Now they would have no one.

  Then her thoughts turned to Taren. Who was he? Did he have the ability to keep her safe? She could sense his desire to do so, but she had no evidence of his talents with magic. And where would they go? Was any place safe for her? Was anywhere truly out of the mages’ reach? She doubted it, but then again, she’d been wrong about the sort of people they were. If they could harm children, they weren’t the heroes she’d heard about in tales.

  Sleep came and went between bouts of waking, her thoughts refusing to relent. Even her mother’s embrace could not settle her mind.

  Chapter 5

  Leko woke before his companions, the two of them still fast asleep. Embyr lay on a cot next to his, rolled on her side and facing the door. Ever watchful, she stayed on guard even in her sleep. Taren lay on a pallet, completely unmoving. It was unusual for him. Normally he shifted over and o
ver in his sleep. This night he appeared to be sleeping well, likely the result of exhaustion. The journey here had been a long one, and they’d hurried every step of the way.

  Leaning over, Leko placed a hand on Embyr’s shoulder. “Time to get up,” he said. The woman slapped his hand and yanked the blanket up to her chin.

  Leko ignored her and went to wake Taren. He couldn’t touch the sorcerer while he was resting. His skin was like fire when he entered the dream state, and touching him could be extremely painful. Instead, the elf tugged at a corner of the pallet. “Taren,” he called. “We need to get moving.”

  Taren’s eyes slid open, and he sat up yawning. Gazing out the window, he noted the position of the moon. He had about an hour to get to Pia’s cabin. The four of them would disappear with the tide, well ahead of the Red Council.

  “Is Embyr awake?” Taren asked as he climbed to his feet.

  “She will be.” Leko leaned down close to her face and swatted her cheek. Immediately jumping backward, he braced himself for retaliation.

  “Leko!” she shouted. “Don’t ever do that again!”

  The elf laughed, holding his side. “I tried the easy way,” he said between bouts of laughing. “You forced my hand.”

  Growling, the red-haired woman got to her feet and stumbled in the dark. “Why is there no light?” she asked.

  Taren spoke a single word and a ball of white light appeared on the palm of his hand. With a gesture of his fingers, he sent it toward the center of the room.

  “That’s better,” Embyr said. She pulled on her boots before gathering her things. “I need a bath,” she groaned.

  “It wouldn’t do you any good,” Leko said.

  She glared back at him, clenching her jaw.

  “Relax,” he said. “It wasn’t an insult. All I meant was we’re bound to be pelted with salt water all morning. You’d only want a second bath later.”

  “Stop talking,” she snapped.

  “You should listen to her,” Taren said, “before you get yourself into more trouble.” He smiled at both of them, enjoying their banter. They had taken to each other right away, squabbling like siblings at times, but always maintaining their friendship. It made for interesting travels.

  As they packed their gear, Taren realized they had completed only a small portion of their journey. They were walking toward danger.

  “You sure you don’t want me to see about buying horses?” Leko asked, grinning.

  Embyr smacked him on the shoulder, then laughed. “I wish,” she said.

  “The three of you could travel by horse, and I could fly above,” Taren offered.

  “Yes, but when we’re attacked and there’s nowhere for you to land, we’re on our own,” Embyr said. “I’d rather walk and have use of his magic if we need it.”

  “What, you don’t think I can protect you?” Leko jibed.

  “I don’t need protecting,” she replied. “But what we’re up against will not be harmed by conventional weapons.”

  “My knives are runed,” Leko said. He pulled one out of its sheath for her to see the emerald runes set into the handle, the source of the weapon’s power. “I guarantee I’ll be doing some damage.”

  Embyr frowned. It was impractical to place runed jewels on single-use arrowheads. With so few rune carvers in existence, the price was simply unaffordable. A row of runed ebony stones had been placed in her bow, giving it strength and reducing its wear, but that wasn’t enough. Her weapons were near useless against the creatures they would face.

  Where permanent enchantments weren’t an option, potent spells would suffice. Unfortunately, the spells were limited in their power, and the magic would fade with time. All this depended on the skill of the sorcerer placing the spell upon them. Taren could lay spells greater than most, but he could not make them last any longer. A single incantation could last no more than a day, after which the spell would have to be recast.

  “I will place enchantments on your arrows,” Taren said.

  “Don’t forget,” she replied. “Maybe you should do it now.”

  “There won’t be a need for it today,” he pointed out.

  “So it’s smooth sailing, then?” Leko asked.

  “With the wind in our favor,” Taren replied.

  Outside the sky was still dark, the light of the moon illuminating a path toward the sea. Pia’s home was cold and silent beneath that light as the trio arrived in front of it.

  Taren knocked gently on the door, hoping the occupants were already awake. Footsteps sounded behind him, and he turned to see Danik making his way up from the shore.

  “The boat’s all set,” he said before opening the door. Movement inside revealed that Pia and Jeya were already awake.

  “Is it time?” Jeya asked, wringing her hands. She swiveled around, grabbing a bundle from the table. She handed the bundle to Danik. “The rest of the honey cakes and some bread and apples,” she said.

  Danik accepted the bundle. “I’ll make sure she takes it with her,” he said.

  Jeya grabbed Pia and squeezed her tightly. Kissing her forehead, the tears spilled from her eyes. “I love you, Pia. Don’t ever forget that.”

  “I won’t,” Pia replied. “I love you too.” She squeezed her mother back, trying to hold on forever.

  Releasing her daughter, Jeya approached Taren with a fire in her eyes. “Make sure you keep her safe,” she said. It sounded like a challenge.

  “I will protect her with my life,” Taren replied. “I swear it.”

  Jeya looked at the man and woman accompanying the sorcerer. “Who are they?” she asked.

  “My companions,” he replied. “They have also pledged to protect Pia. They’re my most trusted friends.”

  Jeya nodded to each of them. “Make sure she eats well,” she said.

  “I will,” Taren promised.

  Pia took a last look around her cabin, attempting to remember every inch of it. The cracks in the wood, the crooked shutter on the front window, and the smell of the salt on the air. She wanted to remember it all. To take it with her wherever she might go. Reaching for her mother’s hand, she gave it one last squeeze.

  “Goodbye, my daughter,” Jeya said. “Go with all my love.” A final kiss on the top of the girl’s head, and she retreated inside her house.

  Pia wanted to run to her mother, to comfort her. But her father grabbed her by the arm, pulling her away.

  “Come along, now,” he said. “She’ll be fine.”

  Pia’s bare feet were cold against the stones at the docks. It was different at this hour, far less inviting than in the daytime. Now it was cold and dark, a place she didn’t want to be. She longed for the sun to warm her.

  She climbed into her father’s boat as if in a daze. Her world was about to change, and she could do nothing to stop it. As she took a seat, she shivered against the cold.

  Embyr climbed in second and sat next to Pia. Removing her own cloak, she draped it over the child. “This will help,” she said.

  Pia didn’t reply.

  Leko grabbed an oar to help Danik row them away from the shore. Taren sat at the front of the boat, his keen eyes scanning the water ahead. There were no signs of incoming ships.

  “I’m Embyr,” the woman said. She pointed to the elf. “And that’s Leko. When we get across the bay, I’d like to buy you a few new clothes. Would you like that?”

  Pia continued to shiver. Her throat was too tight to answer, but she managed a nod. Embyr scooted closer, sharing her warmth, and Pia gladly accepted it. She kept the cabin in her sights as long as she could, watching it grow smaller in the distance. When it disappeared from view, she squeezed her eyes shut.

  When she opened her eyes, the sun had risen slightly in the east, filling the sky with a pale blue glow. It was a cheery color, but it could not lift her heart. It laid heavily against her chest, each beat reminding her of her loss.

  “I never said goodbye to Sekai!” she shouted. Was there time to go back?

 
; “I’ll tell her for you,” Danik grumbled. He continued to row without looking at his daughter.

  Settling back in her seat, Pia felt dizzy. The rocking motion of the boat only furthered her discomfort. Looking to the horizon, she did her best to focus there, losing herself in its light. She felt small, insignificant. Why all this trouble over one girl? She didn’t really have magic, did she? I’ll stop using it. I’ll force it to go away. They were empty promises. She didn’t know how she was using it, so how could she put a stop to it? The memory of her mother’s embrace both warmed and saddened her. Opening her eyes, she looked at the strangers who were to be her protectors. I’m alone, she thought.

  As if hearing the child’s thoughts, Taren turned to face her. His dark eyes stripped her bare, and she shivered under his gaze. Pulling the cloak tighter around her, she tried to look away. But a voice entered her mind, one she could barely make out. It was soft, comforting. Mother.

  Pia, my daughter, my love. The voice repeated over and over. Was this really her mother? How was that possible? The girl shook her head, trying to force it away, but it persisted. She locked eyes with Taren, pleading for it to stop. He turned his gaze elsewhere, and the voice stopped.

  Pia felt empty. Her mother was heartbroken, and her father wouldn’t even look at her. Wishing for nothing more than the boat ride to end, she looked out to sea and counted the waves. Eternity. An endless blue stretched all around her. What shores might she set foot on? What places had her companions seen?

  Four hours at sea brought them ashore in a land Pia had never seen. She’d never been anywhere but Lyraeus. This was but one of many firsts for her. Her stomach felt empty, and she remembered the food her mother had packed for her. Reaching for the bundle, she paused. It was next to her father.

  “Take it,” Danik said. “It’s for you.”

  Pia took the bundle and opened it, shoving a cake in her mouth. After she’d eaten a second, she remembered her manners. “Would you like one?” she asked Embyr.

  Embyr smiled and shook her head. “I’m fine,” she said. “Enjoy them.”